Meeting one of my heroes (Not Mongolia)
Usually meeting one's heroes is kind of a let down. You realize that they're human, and both of their feet actually touch the ground. But I got to meet Senator Daniel Inouye yesterday, and I'm pleased to say, he lived up to my admiration of him.

I first heard of Senator Inouye when I was an impressionable thirteen year-old, spending the summer watching the Watergate hearings on TV. It was the first time I'd ever seen live Senate hearings, and I watched nearly every minute of the proceedings. It not only made me a lifelong Democrat, but it taught me to swear. Fluently.

Senator Inouye's quiet dignity, thoroughness, and passion for the truth impressed me. And when I heard that he was going to be in town campaigning for Kerry, I decided to go.

So I got there on time, and got to shake his hand and gush. He was very polite about it. He shakes hands just like my brother Joey, who
also is missing his right hand. (Odd thing to notice, but there you go.) This was a get-out-the vote event for Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders. And was chock full of admirable local Asian Community bigwigs, and politicos. There was a substantial contingent of Filipino and Nisei (2nd generation Japanese) Veterans. Tough guys who went through hell, and lived (well some of 'em) to tell about it. Wow! I'd heard plenty of stories about the Nisei regiment, and despite being a pretty serious anti-military pacifist, I have enormous respect for these guys.

Even though I'm not Japanese American I've visited the site of the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho, (or at least the site where it was). I've read a bit about the internment camps. Because of a 1924 law that revoked the citizenship of Asian American immigrants and forbid future naturalizations (including American born Asian Americans who were married to Asian immigrants (like Inouye's mom, for example!),the Nisei were not considered citizens. They had to petition the government for the right to join the army and get shot at for their country. They did this while their families were interned in concentration camps. The Nisei Brigade was one of the most decorated brigades during WWII. Daniel Inouye was a member of this brigade. They had a huge casualty list and many, many of them died. Inouye himself lost his arm during the war.


Anyway, Senator Inouye talked about making mistakes. He talked about respecting Roosevelt, even though he'd signed the internment order that imprisoned Japanese Americans. He talked about how the Muslims were being treated post-911, and how the Japanese Americans had been the first to rally to their support. He talked about how the Bush campaign has tried to smear John Kerry's Vietnam service record, and how angry that made him. And Inouye talked movingly about being the junior Senator on the committee that held hearings about the Mai Lai massacre. He'd been an ardent supporter of the war up until the hearings. After having heard the testimony on the massacre, and seen the photographs of women, children, and old people floating in irrigation ditches, he changed his mind about the war. As junior Senator on the committee, he was the last senator to ask questions. All the questions, he said, had already been asked. So when it was his turn he said. "I only have one question, and that's for the other members of the committee. Would this have been permitted if this was Paris, and those women, children, and old people had been French?" After which, the chairman adjourned the hearing. There was nothing more to say.

Inouye talked about what it took to admit that he was wrong, and to "flip-flop" on this issue. He talked about moral courage and strength, and the wisdom to admit he was wrong, and how important it was for a leader to do this. He talked about Kerry's moral strength and his determination to do the right thing, even if it meant changing his position on an issue. It was a hell of a speech. Most folks would have delivered a podium thumping stem-winder of a speech. But Senator Inouye didn't need to. At no point did he raise his voice, or call names. He simply got up and spoke the truth, as only one who had the moral authority of sacrifice and years of public service can do. It was enough and more than enough, and it reminded me that there really are good, truthful and honest people in politics. Would that there were more of them.

Vote Early, Vote Often, Vote Democrat!